Murder Prince
by Ashurato
Summary: AU. AlbelFayt, LutherFayt. The matriarchy of Aquaria is threatened by war and her queen has fallen. But when only a sheltered prince is in line for the throne, all conventions and pride must be tossed aside. Enter the bounty hunter.
1. Chapter 1

Murder Prince

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by: Asurahime

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- Chapter One -

The kingdom of Aquaria was once green, fruitful and holy until war tore the land into shreds. It was a paradise destroyed, like so many others before it. Like a garden shun by the sun and abandoned by a caring touch, plants grew unhindered and animals grew wild. The queen is on the verge of falling, leaving behind no one to succeed her place other than a prince who can never be king.

For generations, the kingdom of Aquaria has been a matriarchy and thus, no man can ever sit uncontested on the platinum throne. That is how Aquaria remained, but despite the old tradition, the people wanted peace above all. They loved their prince and wished for him to rule, but they can hardly protect themselves, let alone the power to rule them. They loved their kind, brave and generous prince.

A prince no one has ever seen.

---

"Pathetic!" Belzeber scoffed as he wound his whip around the Queen's throat, wringing a cry from her lips as he charged the rope with electricity. His eyes grew wide with malice as he felt the last vestiges of her breath cease. "Just surrender the kingdom to us now and we will stop killing your people. If you don't, why, there soon won't be a soul left in the kingdom to rule!"

"Belzeber, maybe you shouldn't—" started Berial, holding up his large hands in a calming motion.

"Shut up, Berial! If you need something to do other than bother me, go and find the prin--!"

"Watch it, your eyeliner's smudged!" shouted Cliff Fittir, Head Warden of Aquios, as he connected his fist with Belzeber's jaw, gaining satisfaction at the impact.

Belzeber went flying but was caught by Berial before he could hit the walls. He struggled to his feet and rubbed his jaw, but his eyes screamed bloodshed. "You brute! You ruined my beautiful face!"

"Can it, homo!" Cliff shifted back into an attack position, but all motion stopped when the Queen let out a piercing cry.

"Your majesty, don't speak!" The normally impassive Mirage Koas was frantic as Queen Aquaria struggled to her feet, coughing blood and struggling to breathe through her injured throat. "Just lie still, please!"

Queen Aquaria looked up to Mirage and Cliff with warm crimson eyes, smiling. "My son, protect my son since I no longer can. Ignore tradition for I designate him as my heir, my only heir. This is not the time for quarrels amongst ourselves. Take care of him. Protect my Fayt in my stead. Promise me!" The order rang loud and clear, holding authority greater than what the frail body appeared capable of holding.

"I will," whispered Mirage as the powerful Queen grew weaker. "I will make certain that His Highness ascends to the throne."

"My Fayt, My Creation, I have been such a horrible mother. May Apris guide you in your paths… always…" With that, the Queen breathed her last, falling upon the stairs before the empty throne, her pale face half-hidden by her white robes. Mirage and Cliff looked away from the sight of the dead queen.

"Oh great, the queen is dead but we still don't know where the prince is!" Belzeber grimaced, licking at a cut near his mouth. "We'll leave this alone for now, but know that we won't be gone for long!"

Cliff yelled obscenities at that announcement, the muscles on his arm tensing in his rage. "Leave and go back to the pigsty you belong, pig!"

Belzeber scoffed. "Powerful words for a weak ape! Know that I'm leaving you alive so that you can bury that queen of yours. Next time, I won't be so merciful." He then walked out, gesturing for Berial to follow him.

Berial nodded rather politely to Cliff and Mirage before hurrying out to follow his partner.

After the two men exited the throne room, Cliff and Mirage collapsed to the floor, disheartened and defeated. They exchanged glances and then stared at their dead queen. She was beautiful even in death, but the power she wore like a cloak was gone and the brilliant crimson eyes were closed forever.

"I can't believe this could happen. How could Airyglyph go this far?" shouted Cliff, slamming his fist upon the pavement and leaving a sizeable crater on the floor. He turned away, unable to look at the queen he could not protect.

"This is what happens with war. Our kingdom is a peaceful one and cannot possibly be strong enough to fight, especially against a militaristic one like Airyglyph," replied Mirage. "Now, we do not even have a figure to protect."

"So now what do we do?"

Mirage looked up at Cliff. "Find and tell the prince, of course. He must be informed of what happened and taken to a safe place post-haste."

Cliff stood and picked up the dead queen. "Okay, where is he?"

Mirage stared at him. "I thought you knew…"

---

Fayt, prince of Aquaria, ran through the forest, slicing at the twigs and branches that blocked his path with powerful blades of wind. In the darkness of the night, only the glowing white symbols engraved upon his skin provided the watcher any indication of where he was.

"I can't believe this," growled Fayt, holding his hand out in front of him. "Wind Blade!" A particularly large branch was severed from its tree and flew off, never to be seen again. "Cliff, Mirage, you two will get an earful when I get back! Mother…" Fayt was drained and frustrated at the unfamiliar surroundings, but he grit his teeth and ran on. "I have to warn my brother and his soldiers!"

The blue-haired prince was so lost in his own meditations that he did not see the Dragon Zombie in front of him. Before he could take another step forward, Fayt found himself staring into the blood-shot yellow eyes. "Where did you come from?!"

The dragon lashed its tail in fury, rising from the ground and hitting Fayt right in the chest. The wind was quickly knocked out of Fayt's lungs as he was sent flying into a tree. He opened his green eyes despite the pain to see the enraged dragon rushing towards him. With the last of his strength, Fayt raised his hand and braced himself as runological circles formed before him.

"Stay away from me! Lighting Bolt!" The velocity of the dragon colliding with the spell caused an explosion that sent the prince flying off a cliff. Fayt felt pain shoot through his body, forcing his eyes wide open with shock. The last thing he saw was the ocean of stars spinning silently above him like the souls of the dead, eternally watching but unable to interfere.

_Mother, even now there is nothing I can do, is there? Brother, we need you now more than ever. I'm just… not strong enough…_

Green eyes closed and faded to black.

---

Albel Nox drew his cloak closer to him, livid at the cheerfulness on his right side and the aura of utter gloom on his left. It was beyond his understanding how his two companions could get along with each other when the two personalities were the textbook ingredients for unparalleled hatred. Then again, his two companions were not exactly… normal.

"A undead dragon… it's close."

A sharp cry, the scent of blood and the rustling of cloth prompted Albel to look up. He regretted the action immediately when he felt something rather heavy hit him on the head. "Fucking maggot!" yelled the swordsman as he fell over backwards, quickly losing consciousness with the force of the hit.

The two companions, Adray and Romero dropped their belongings in surprise as their leader was downed by an equally unconscious, blue-haired young man.

Adray approached the sleeping pair. "Romero, what was the forecast for today?"

The Lord of the Undead joined his companion. "Clear into the night."

"With a chance of raining boys, apparently," said Adray as he turned the newcomer over. He then noticed the fading white symbols forming a circlet over the boy's forehead. "How often does it rain princes? This boy is the prince of Aquaria!"

Romero's eyes flashed in surprise before noticing something else they should have noticed immediately. "Adray, the master is also unconscious. What should we do?"

A grin grew wide on the older man's face. "Enjoy the moment. It's not going to last, after all."

Romero sighed and shook his head. "Indeed."

---

Albel opened his eyes and fought back the urge to murder something, preferably what caused the pounding in his head. "Where is the little worm that did this?!" He opened his crimson eyes and saw Romero and Adray near a fire, the latter making dinner and the former placing protection shields around an unfamiliar blue-haired boy. He also noticed that for one running rampant through the forest, the boy's garments were surprisingly fine, more fitting for a person to wear to court.

"So, you're finally—" started Adray, but he was cut off as Albel leaped over the fire.

"WORM!" snarled Albel, drawing the Sword of the Crimson Scourge with a swift, clean motion and slicing viciously against the wards. Needless to say, Albel did not have the best of tempers.

Romero held out his hand, willing a massive scythe to materialize. Using the weapon, he knocked the Crimson Scourge out of the way. When Albel came at him again, Romero barely managed to block the unforgiving downward swipe of the sentient sword. By the fifth block, even Romero started to lose his patience. "Master Albel, you are acting like a barbarian!"

"Out of the way, maggot!" growled Albel as he charged again, the Crimson Scourge shining like a beacon. Romero knew that if the sword descended again, even he would be unable to deflect it.

"Ice Needles!" yelled an unfamiliar voice before Romero and Adray saw spears of ice hurtle from within the barrier to hit Albel, effectively freezing the raging swordsman in place.

"Whoa," whistled Adray appreciatively. "No on has ever been able to shut him up that quick!"

"Indeed an impressive skill," agreed Romero before the two looked back at the only half-conscious prince. "Made even more impressive that his highness is able to execute such a skill in his state."

Fayt had one hand extended towards a shadow that had rushed at him. He was aware that two other figures surrounded him, but only the charging figure emitted any aura of hostility. Ingrained instincts of self-preservation caused him to cast a spell before even gaining awareness. After the danger passed, he opened his eyes to inspect the two figures surrounding him more clearly. Fayt was surprised to find himself in the company of a large, tattooed man and another man who exhibited signs of being one of the undead. "Where am I?"

"Ah, so your highness is awake. You are in the forest in our humble camp," Adray bypassed the frozen Albel and squatted down before Fayt. "I must admit you gave us quite a scare when you flew down from the sky. How are you feeling?"

"Like I fell off a cliff," groaned Fayt, rubbing at the incredibly sore spot on his head. "Who are you?"

"I am Adray Lasbard, the gloomy guy next to me is Romero and the one your highness froze is Albel Nox. He's a bit violent, so we'll leave him as he is right now. But don't worry, he'll come around. On a side note, what brought your highness all the way out here in the forest just to jump off a cliff?"

"I didn't jump, I fell… more like was thrown by an unpleasant encounter with a dragon."

Romero levitated Albel near the fire so that the gruff swordsman could thaw before joining the other two. He caught a flinch that the prince was trying to hide. "Adray, check him first before questioning him. I smell blood."

Adray smacked himself on the forehead before scanning Fayt with a spell to see the extent of any damages. He drew the prince's right arm forward, earning a sharp hiss of pain from his patient. The arm was badly burned and bleeding, amazing Adray that Fayt could hide the pain that he was suffering. Despite looking tattered and burned, the fingers were curled like a vice around a round object. If nothing was done soon, the injury could cost the prince his arm.

"What were you playing at to earn this?" asked Adray, pouring an analeptic on the wounds.

Romero sniffed the air and focused his gaze on the wounded arm. "It was indeed a dragon. Only dragon's blood can cause this kind of burn. An undead dragon, I am certain of it." He approached Fayt and uncurled the fingers from what they were holding captive. A large yellow stone with a blood-red center fell into his hand. "A dragon eye."

The cracking sound of ice signaled the liberation of Albel, but all the swordsman did was glare poisonously at the newcomer. "A dragon, eh? You're a brave little maggot to rip its eye right out of its skull. Or are you just stupid?"

Adray and Romero looked at Fayt with unadulterated horror. "Did you?" Even Romero looked disturbed by the idea as he handed the jewel back.

Albel sneered. "When a dragon dies, its whole body decomposes immediately, save three parts. Ripping out its eyes gives you two, and the last drop of blood in its heart gives you the third. But any half-wit bounty hunter would know that dragon's blood burns as much as its fire. Are you sure this worm's a prince? His actions are more like an incompetent bounty hunter to me."

Fayt did not like the lanky man's tone and stopped himself from firing a Fire Bolt to burn something unmentionable. "What else could I do? Aquarian royalty are forbidden to carry any type of metal weapon or instrument for the purpose of harming another, even for self-defense."

"Aquios must be headed by morons!" snapped Albel, enjoying Fayt's growing antagonism towards him. "Well, what is your highness doing all the way out here?"

"Castle Aquios was attacked by Airyglyph. Cliff and Mirage, the castle wardens, told me to stay put and hide, but I couldn't just do nothing. I set out to look for my brother and tell him of the threat to our country." Fayt stood up and thanked Adray, marveling at his healed arm.

"I wasn't aware that Aquaria even had princes," mused Romero, an unfathomable glint in his steel-gray eyes. "Let alone two."

"It's not exactly common knowledge." Fayt lowered his head. "Only women are supposed to inherit the Aquarian throne. Neither my older brother nor I were ever meant to succeed, so we were destined to play secondary roles. But even so, I want to protect my kingdom! There is no one else to ascend!"

Albel laughed mockingly. "But there isn't much you can do, is there? Do you even know where your brother is?" Fayt shook his head slowly in defeat. "A prince who can't fight on a wild goose chase to find his lost brother in order to protect a kingdom that doesn't know he exists. Ha! Tell me another!"

A blazing Fire Bold singed some strands of hair near Albel's face, cutting his laughter short. Instead, his expression changed into one of mixed hostility and amusement. "You worm…"

Fayt lowered his hand, runes on his forehead glowing and his green eyes blazing in suppressed ire. "Whoever said I cannot fight?"

A loud, monstrous shriek pierced the night and Albel smirked, holding the Crimson Scourge horizontally before him. "Bah! It's never around when you want it to be, but when you don't need it, it comes. Just like a nagging mother."

Adray and Romero stood up. "Need help?"

"Don't get in my way, fools," replied Albel before he jumped impossibly high into the air. Seconds later, a one-eyed Dragon Zombie crashed into the small encampment, smelling of death and hungry for blood. From the air, Albel snickered childishly. "Friend of yours, maggot?"

Ignoring Albel's taunt, Fayt's eyes grew wide at the sight of his previous predator. Instinctively, he raised an open palm in defense, ready to cast a spell. "Thunder--!"

Romero drew his hand down, breaking Fayt's concentration and dissipating the spell. "Just watch Master Albel, your highness. We follow him for a reason."

Adray crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back, lips quirking into an obnoxious smile. "He's not completely disposable. He can be useful for certain things… like pillaging… and killing… and that's about it."

Albel locked gazes with Fayt, smiling wickedly. "You may be able to fight, prince, but not like this!" The vermilion-eyed swordsman twisted his body sharply in mid-air and descended. He held the Crimson Scourge pointed down like a lance right above the Dragon Zombie's cranium, impaling it and pinning its jaws closed upon the ground. It screeched its fury, its sole eye spinning wildly with insanity. Dark blood flowed like a river from the wound, scorching all it touched. Albel grabbed the dying dragon's tongue and braced one foot against the ground and the other on the hilt of the Crimson Scourge. With a mad grin, he pulled sharply at the dragon's tongue, splitting its body in half even as it shrieked defiance against its assailant.

The process of splitting the dragon's body with the Crimson Scourge was long, slow and agonizing to even watch. No longer able to watch the torture before him, Fayt turned away and averted his eyes, but even that could not stop him from hearing the deathly screams.

Once the dragon was severed in half, Albel bent down, lifted the dragon's heart with his steel claws and split it in two. Within the depths of the broken heart shone a dark jewel, red as blood. "Mission accomplished, maggots. Let's go."

"But it's still alive," muttered Romero, remarking that undead creatures take longer to die than others.

"Shut up and just follow me, fools," snarled Albel as he kicked half of the dragon away from him.

Fayt hated to admit it, but Albel was powerful, powerful enough to protect the kingdom should Airyglyph attack again. Swallowing his pride, Fayt knelt down before Albel. "Wait, please. Hear me out."

Adray and Romero stopped and faced Fayt, but Albel kept his back turned away, languidly tossing the jewel in his hand. "What is it, your highness?" drawled Albel, looking like the incarnation of apathy. "We have a deadline to meet, so make it quick."

Fayt clenched his hands into fists and grit his teeth, it hurt his pride that he should ask help from such an uncaring person, but this is something larger than himself. The prince of the once-mighty kingdom of Aquaria prostrated himself upon the ground before the uncaring swordsman. "Please help me protect Aquaria!"

"Your highness…" started Adray as he glanced between Fayt and Albel. Romero shook his head and sight, unsure of how to reply.

"No." The reply was short and curt, surprising even Adray and Romero with the sharpness of its tone.

"Please! Please help me unify this land. There is no one else that can," whispered Fayt.

Albel turned around, a dark grin on his face. "Look, maggot. I am a bounty hunter. I don't do volunteer work. If you want me to do something, what's in it for me?"

The green-eyed prince stood up and looked straight at Albel, resolve radiating from his figure. "I can't use the kingdom's fortune for something that I decide, so I can only offer you myself. I will be your servant from today on."

"WHAT?!" shouted Adray, alarmed at what the prince of Aquaria was offering to a bounty hunter he barely knew, a blood-thirsty, homicidal one at that. He was astounded, but both he and Romero could not help but admire the prince's loyalty to his kingdom.

"Deal. We'll protect the kingdom for you," replied Albel without a hint of hesitation in his voice.

"WHAT?!! Aren't either of you going to think about this?"

Green and crimson eyes both eyed the tattooed man. "No." The decision in their voices silenced him.

Romero however, had other matters in mind. "But highness, if you are to be Master Albel's servant, would not the people realize something going on?"

"My mother had crimson eyes, so that is something the people would easily accept. Princes of Aquaria are born to be forgotten," said Fayt as he looked at Albel. "No one knows how I look like and I am rarely outside the palace. We **must** announce a successor to the throne within five days of the Queen's death—I am the only one with connection left to the throne. The only one with a true rune circle proclaiming me as Aquarian royalty. My mother is most likely dead and my brother is nowhere to be found. Albel will have my role from now on, as prince, then as ruler of Aquaria."

Albel's smirk widened into a grin similar to an animal baring its teeth. "King. I like the sound of that." He then laid eyes upon a single shining pinpoint below his feet. "Servant, rip the other eye out of the dragon."

Adray tried to stop Fayt, but the blue-haired prince had already reached in with his left hand and pulled out the jewel, causing the older man much frustration in healing him.

"Will this do?" asked Fayt, holding out the yellow jewel and ignoring the burning in his arm. "Your highness?"

Albel approached Fayt and roughly jerked his chin up. "Quick learner. You'll do just fine. I'll unify your little kingdom for you, maggot."

Fayt glared half-heartedly as he jerked his chin away. "There's one more thing."

Romero coughed and hid it with his hand turning away. "Yes, the circlet of white runes that distinguishes Aquarian royalty. Without that, no one will believe that Master Albel is the prince."

Adray shook his head. "Well, that's some plan, then. How are we going to fix this?"

"There are two ways to get it: either be born into royalty or drink the blood of royalty, willingly given of course," said Romero, indicating the dark runes on his own forehead. "But should you do the latter, the runes will cease to glow once the bearer of the originals dies."

"I am going to enjoy this." Albel grabbed Fayt by the shoulders. "Think of a happier place as best you can, maggot. This is going to hurt."

Fayt stared straight back at him, pulled down his collar and nicked a line with a sharp nail, drawing blood. "Happy places only exist in dreams, your highness. Making that into reality for the people is my duty."

"Wrong. Your only duty now is to do what I wish," drawled Albel as he fixed his teeth upon the pale flesh, unsatisfied with the blood that has already been drawn. Fayt flinched as the swordsman bit hard enough to hurt, knowing that Albel was clearly unconcerned with the pain he was inflicting. But Fayt ceased to struggle as he hardened his heart, convincing himself of what this alliance meant for Aquaria.

After what seemed like eternity, Albel removed his teeth and licked his lips. He blew lightly into Fayt's ear, causing a barely perceptible shiver. Fayt's eyes grew dark before he collapsed, drained of magic.

"You're mine now." Albel lifted the boy and tossed him like a sack of potatoes into Adray's arms. "Let's move, worms."

The tattooed man fought the urge to yell, rave, or wring Albel's callous neck, an urge that quickly died when he saw the brightening runes on swordsman's forehead. "Apris protect us…"

Albel sheathed the Crimson Scourge and kicked the disintegrating dragon aside. "Romero, call your overgrown rodent."

"Her name is Abyss," replied Romero frostily before whistling a series of low notes. An enormous bat could be seen approaching from the distance. "What is our destination?"

"To Aquios Castle in Aquaria, my kingdom," said Albel with an unbalanced light of excitement in his eyes. The twin set of runes on his and Fayt's foreheads blazed blue-white. "Not bad for a day of work."

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End Chapter One

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Author's Notes:

For a long while, I honestly thought that I was over my Star Ocean fanfiction spree, which kind of disappointed me, but I found myself pulled back in when I finished the second to the last chapter of _Vermilion_. I think it's because I like that story too much to simply let it die. Along with that, I decided that I wanted to write an AU story and that was when I came upon _Murder Princess_, where the main character of the bounty hunter-turned-princess might as well be a female Albel. I thought, why not?

Please approach this story with an open mind; there may be other elements that can offend people (other than the pairing of Albel/Fayt). It's been two years, but the fire still burns.


	2. Chapter 2

Murder Prince

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by: Asurahime

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- Chapter Two -

"Are you certain that you want us to protect your kingdom?" asked Adray as the four of them clung on to the violently flying bat.

Fayt lay flush against Abyss, clinging on to the dark fur for dear life as the ground moved farther and farther away. This was not exactly how he imagined going back to the castle. "Did you say something, Adray?"

Romero turned around from the front, his face composed even as he looked at the frantic blue-haired former prince. "Adray was just saying that Aquaria is a holy kingdom. Do you really want to trust a berserker, one of the undead and a short-tempered bounty hunter to protect it for you?"

"What choice do I really have?" asked Fayt, shielding his eyes against the cutting wind of the upper atmosphere. "Even if you back out, having more people in the castle is better than having less. And shouldn't you be watching where we are heading?"

Romero smiled chillingly. "Abyss knows where she wants to go. I do not tell her where."

Fayt felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Romero certainly was not someone you mess with. He almost jumped off the bat and plummeted to his doom when he felt cold steel claws clasp his shoulder. Turning around, he was far from comforted to see the mad glint in Albel's crimson eyes. "W-what is it?"

"So, Aquaria is a holy kingdom, eh?" asked Albel. "That's perfect then! You fools don't have to worry about a thing!"

The other three passengers turned to look at Albel. "How will this be all right?"

"My new slave can take care of all the religious nonsense and I will be in charge of stabbing holes into people!" Albel let out tyrannical laughter. "Being a king is going to be great!"

"_Silence_!" With a hissed spell, a livid Fayt clapped a shaking hand around Albel's throat, the runes on his forehead blazing white. "I may be your servant, but my first and foremost allegiance is to the kingdom of Aquaria. Don't think that I will let you do as you wish."

Adray and Romero exchanged surprised glances and waited for the explosion to happen. Minutes passed and no explosion, only the flapping of the bat's wings. Albel glared darkly at Fayt, but that glare soon turned into a more thoughtful, amused expression. The glint in his eyes spoke volumes of what mischief he had in store.

"I don't believe this!" exclaimed Adray, laughing heartily. "The little prince managed to shut up 'Albel the Wicked' twice!"

"And lived to tell the tale," nodded Romero, smiling slightly.

Abyss chirped as if in complete agreement.

Realizing that Albel was not going to slice him in two, Fayt tuned around and looked ahead. Just when he though he was safe, a sharp claw started scratching at the back of his shirt.

_You. Will. Pay._

Fayt froze at the words that were formed, their meaning ringing clear. He did not have to turn around to know that Albel was smiling. The swordsman is powerful and slightly twisted. He would be able to protect Aquaria.

But he was anything but nice.

---

Aquios glimmered like a diamond in the distance, surrounded by the emerald green of the forests. It is the shrine of the god Apris, the god who can create and destroy. It is a throne that must be protected even at the cost of mortal lives. The shining gem is a beacon of hope and as long as it stands, there is hope for continuing life.

Green eyes surveyed the surroundings, but all they could see was blood, death, and the destruction of lives for a worthless sacrifice. Fayt did not want the people to protect the throne in order to save a mere few. One life is just as important as another and the two are not interchangeable. This is his desire and his fate.

To change the throne from something to be protected to something that protects all.

The peaceful kingdom must sometimes take up arms to protect itself, but this time, the prince will be the first into battle.

"That's Aquios Castle!" shouted Fayt against the wind and pointed at the castle they were circling.

Romero whistled a sharp note and pointed down, getting an affirmative chirp from Abyss in reply.

"I don't think we have time to knock!" shouted Adray as the bat descended quickly. He then handed a black piece of cloth to Fayt. "You might want to cover your runes, your highness!"

Fayt tied the cloth around his forehead and shielded his eyes from the sharp wind. "Just go right in!"

Albel stood up with a wicked grin on his face, seemingly unfazed that the bat was practically dropping like a rock. "Hear that, rodent? Break in!"

"Hang tight!" warned Romero as he gestured sharply.

All Fayt could do was hold on for dear life and close his eyes, praying for mercy.

---

The throne room of Aquios Castle ran red with blood. Piles of bodies consisting of both the living and the dead littered both sides of the platinum throne. Cliff and Mirage, both exhausted and beaten, were the last defenses between the enemy and the throne.

Berial, Belzeber and another blond-haired man stood victorious before the Aquarian warriors.

Belzeber flicked his whip lazily upon the ground, ice blue eyes fixed upon Cliff and Mirage. "Fifty-eight warriors all down for the count. Two more and we'll have an even number. What are you going to do now, Wardens?"

"Is this where we fall, partner?" hissed Cliff, wiping blood from his eyes. "We couldn't even protect the prince."

"What a waste of time!" snarled Belzeber, striking Cliff and Mirage away from the throne. "The throne now belongs to Lord Vox and Airyglyph!"

Vox ascended to the throne and sat down, triumphant. "You have done well, Belzeber, Berial. You two will be well rewarded now that I am king!"

"The Aquios throne cannot accept a man not accepted by its people! It does not belong to you!"

Belzeber was furious and attempted to strike again, but was held back by Berial. "Let go of me! They don't even have much longer to live!"

"Belzeber, calm down!"

"Speaking ill of Airyglyph is now punishable by death!" hissed Vox through gritted teeth.

Cliff couldn't watch the scene happening before him. "Our kingdom has fallen."

Vox's menacing laughter was cut off by a loud, animalistic shriek as an immense bat burst through the doors. When the smoke cleared, four figures stood before the throne, a man with gold and black hair unsheathed a sword glowing crimson. "You're in my seat. Get lost, maggot!"

"How dare you speak to Lord Vox in such a manner!" fumed Belzeber, striking out with his whip. "Who in the hell are you, anyway?"

Albel grinned wickedly and the blue-white runes encircling his forehead glowed bright. "I am Albel, the prince of Aquaria. You worms can call me 'Master'." His grin grew maniacal. "And I don't like homos who wear lipstick." Albel threw the end of the whip he caught to Romero, who floated up to the ceiling and hung the whip from a horizontal column, taking Belzeber along with it.

In his surprise, Belzeber dropped his second whip, allowing Albel to pick it up. "So you like whips, eh? Maggots like you must be masochistic as well!" He viciously struck the suspended man. "Trespassers must be punished." He pushed a button that charged the whip with electricity, causing Belzeber to shriek in pain. The smell of burning flesh permeated the air.

During this time, Fayt ran to Cliff and Mirage's side, almost sick with worry. "I'm so glad you two are still alive."

Cliff cringed as Fayt sent a healing spell through his arm, healing broken bones. "Prince Fayt, what are you doing? Who in the hell are these people? Why does he have a runology circlet?!"

"Not the right time to be asking questions, Cliff," stated Mirage, watching the events before her.

Albel let go of the whip when Belzeber fell unconscious. Berial caught the man as he fell, convulsing in pain. "Hmph… pathetic."

"I warned you about putting electricity in your whips," said Berial, shaking his head.

An impassive Vox snapped his finger and within seconds, red and green dragons surrounded the group. "Let's see you get out of this one, usurpers!"

Albel licked his lips. "We can't be usurpers when you're not a king, fool. These little worms are child's play."

"He doesn't even need our help, does he?" sighed Adray, grabbing the tail of a red dragon and throwing it out the window.

"Master Albel just likes things done his way," drawled Romero as he quartered another dragon with his scythe. "Ignore him."

Albel went around the room, dodging attacks and chopping off the heads of the dragons that came too close. His clothes and face quickly became drenched with blood, but the hungry glint in his eyes never faded.

A dragon headed straight towards Fayt, who immediately stood up and began to chant a spell. Before he could let a ball of fire fly, Abyss tackled the dragon and tore out its throat cleanly. He knocked the corpse far away from Fayt into Vox, sending him flying into a wall. Abyss let out an indignant shriek before approaching a stunned Fayt and cooing, nuzzling the blue-haired prince.

Fayt broke out of his frozen state to pet the enormous bat, smiling and muttering a soft 'thank you.'

Adray chuckled as he tossed more dragons out the window. "Looks like Abyss is rather fond of Fayt, eh Romero?"

"Don't get too attached." Romero sighed and leaned on his scythe. "It's more like an infatuation with beings of high spiritual power. She can't help it and she hasn't found a favorite in a while. She ate her last one."

"Well, tell that overgrown rodent to back off of my servant!" growled Albel, walking towards Vox and throwing the decapitated dragon heads over the man's prone body. "Now, I think the tables have turned, fool. How should I kill you?"

"Do you have a pit? All castles should have something of a pit," asked Romero to Cliff, who slowly shook his head. "Pity."

From the other side of the room, Berial dropped a slowly awakening Belzeber and turned around, eyes turning red and foaming at the mouth. "I have to save Lord Vox… I can't let them kill him!" A rocket launcher appeared from behind him and the fingers of his hands bent down to reveal a machine gun.

Belzeber, now fully conscious, grew frantic at the sight of Berial's stance. He sped out of the way and without thinking of where he was, warned everyone of impending doom. "Get out of the way or Berial's going to lose control!"

All hell exploded.

Albel dodged out of the way as bullets riddled the ground he had been standing on. Vox pressed himself next to a column as a rocket impacted two feet from him. Fayt grabbed a running Belzeber and pushed him behind into a snarling Abyss' grip before activating a barrier to protect them all. Belzeber was not so luck as he stared into the gaping, bloody maws of a giant bat.

Romero and Adray dodged the rockets with ease, marveling at the inaccuracy of it all. "He can't tell his allies from his enemies," mused Romero as bullets hit the column Vox was hiding behind. "Fight a berserker with another one, I suppose. Can you handle this, Adray?"

"Of course!" grinned the old man as he ran through the rubble, muscles bulging as he reached out a hand. He gripped Berial's head with one hand and slammed him against the floor with a sickening crack.

Belzeber went ballistic as he tore himself from the barrier. "Don't do that, he's going to explode!" A sharp ticking sound started from within Berial's head.

"Useless maggots! You've overstayed your welcome and we're kicking you out!" Albel stepped from behind the throne and grabbed Vox, tossing him to Abyss. Romero jerked Belzeber forward by his collar and Adray heaved Berial's massive form on the giant bat.

"Abyss, drop them far away from here," ordered Romero.

The bat looked at Fayt and crooned softly before taking off at a fast pace. Moments later, a large explosion was heard.

---

"We are crowning the prince as the new ruler of Aquaria in five days and now you tell us there's been a change in plans?!"

Fayt's hard glare silenced Cliff and impressed Mirage. "There people just saved our kingdom Cliff, please understand."

"They are still living and they _will_ return," threatened Romero as he watched Albel seat himself ungracefully on the throne.

"We cannot withstand another attack like that! I will not have another person die because we are too weak to defend them."

"Your highness…" whispered Mirage.

"I'm not the prince anymore, Mirage. The people have never even seen me. The ruler is going to be Albel and from this day forward, I am Fayt, a castle servant," insisted the blue-haired boy as he took his place beside Albel.

Grinning, Albel reached out and raked his steel claws gently against the prince's bare arm, eliciting a slight shiver and an annoyed glare. "Now that I am king, it means that I am the law. Maggot!" Albel pointed to Cliff. "Go and get me something to drink!"

Cliff lost it. "Whoever said I agreed to this plan? If you want it, get it yourself!"

"If it's not here in thirty seconds, you're dead."

Fayt sighed and began walking down the stairs. "I'll go get it."

Albel grinned and pulled his new blue-haired, green-eyed servant on his lap. "I didn't say you could more, fool. I asked the blond ape to go get it."

Cliff went ape shit but Mirage just smiled. The stream of profanities spewing from Cliff's mouth impressed even Adray. "That is no way to treat royalty! Let go of the prince this instant!" roared Cliff, ready to punch the cocky smile off of Albel's face if not for Mirage holding him back.

"Stubborn, weak, and stupid… no wonder your country's at war. Didn't you here me? I'm the ruler of you maggots now!" cackled Albel, stroking Fayt's blue hair and thoroughly enjoying how pissed off Cliff was getting.

"Shut up and fight me man to man!" Cliff looked at Albel from head to toe before smirking crookedly. "On second thought, it's not nice to hit girls."

Fayt quickly got out of the way before Albel flew off the throne, claws poised to rip Cliff to shreds. "Watch your mouth before I cut it off your face, maggot."

Cliff blocked the attack and held out a hand in a childish taunt to come. "Bring it, princess!"

As the two attempted to kill each other, the other occupants of the room just stared in amusement.

"Should we stop them?" asked Adray.

"Go ahead if you wish to add to the death tool," whispered Romero as his eyes darkened. "I would gladly wait for you on the other side…"

"Now that I think about it…"

Mirage was all smiles. "It's nice to know the castle's going to be more lively from now on!"

Fayt grimaced. "If we all survive until morning with these two."

---

A figure clad in black armor gazed at Aquios from a distant cliff. Empty blue eyes flashed golden within the darkness of the helmet before becoming hidden once again. "Aquios Castle."

"Y-yes, this is Aquios Castle." A man cowering before the figure rubbed his hands greedily even as he grew white with terror. "W-will you give me the reward you promised?"

A black spear cut through the man, killing him before the terrified smile of anticipation could even leave his face. Blood dyed the ground crimson, but the dead man's face was forever locked in the expression of avarice, eyes wide open. The stench of rusting iron filled the air.

The figure drew out a few gold coins from its pocket and dropped them on the cooling corpse. "Not even gold will allow you to buy the salvation of your filthy soul."

The imposing figure marched on towards Aquios, flanked by two other figures. Their stride was unrelenting and their presence promised impending doom.

----------

End Chapter Two

----- -----

Author's Notes:

I'd like to think this chapter as pretty straightforward. But honestly, I would not want Albel to be the one to rule my country. We would be at war all the time and the country's motto would be, "It's not the great who are strong, it's the strong who are great!"

I have a feeling most people already know who the figure in the black armor is… but the characters don't because I won't let them for a little longer.


	3. Chapter 3

Murder Prince

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by: Asurahime

----- -----

- Chapter Three -

_Faster._

Fayt's eyes narrowed as he drew up a hand, surrounding himself with a shield to block the blades of air coming towards him.

_Stronger._

Albel growled in annoyance but rushed at his opponent again, striking at him with quick horizontal slashes that grew stronger with each swipe.

_You're too slow._

The shield broke, leaving Fayt vulnerable to his opponent's attacks. He dodged quickly to the left and stealthily pivoted to emerge behind his enemy. With all of his strength, he jumped into the air and kicked his companion into a wall, leaving a sizable crack on the marble surface.

_Not bad._

Albel turned around and braced himself, blocking most of the impact by holding his arms like a shield before him, However, that did not stop him from flying into something particularly hard. Instead of becoming thoroughly pissed, his crimson eyes just glittered with excitement as he pushed off from the wall.

_Just not good enough._

Fayt concentrated on the area surrounding him and willed the bright green leaves in the trees to sharpen into blades. His green eyes darkened with power as the leaves fluttered around him like a maelstrom of death. The emerald whirlwind stopped for a moment before the lethal foliage hurtled towards Albel.

The crimson-eyed swordsman turned serious as he deftly knocked each deadly leaf aside, constantly moving towards his opponent. Reaching Fayt, he quickly slid his blade towards the former prince's throat. It was a mere feint, but Fayt took it seriously and stepped back. Albel took advantage of the broken concentration and transferred the Crimson Scourge to his clawed hand. Using his free hand, Albel slammed an open palm into Fayt's chest, knocking the air out of his lungs and toppling him flat on his back. Albel quickly stabbed down into a corner of Fayt's shirt, literally pinning him to the ground like a butterfly in a display board, immobilized.

"It's not the great who are strong, it's the strong who are great!" Albel mocked Fayt from his dominant position, feeling the satisfaction in a win he had not felt in a long time. "Muahahaha!"

Fayt curbed the rising temptation to levitate Albel and drop him from an exceptionally fantastic height. He was Albel's servant now and Albel was generous enough to be his sparring partner. "Will you release me now?"

Albel leaned on the Crimson Scourge and smiled wickedly. "I told you before, I don't do charity. It's going to cost you."

Scratch that, Albel is just a greedy, sadistic bastard.

"I'm already your servant!" Fayt shouted. "I do not have anything other than the shirt on my back!" Fayt started to regret even saying that when Albel's face loomed closer.

"That is an amusing revelation, maggot," said Albel with a grin. He pulled out the Crimson Scourge but pinned Fayt with his foot as the former prince was about to stand up. "I will be taking that offer."

Before Fayt could utter a protest, Albel drew the Crimson Scourge down the white fabric, slicing it neatly.

The door slammed open to reveal Mirage and Cliff, who had come to inform the two of the coronation in the afternoon. Albel smirked and finished ripping Fayt's shirt off his body, enjoying the shock spreading across Cliff's face. He was slightly disappointed that Mirage just smiled good-naturedly, but felt immediate satisfaction when lighting struck the ground two feet from where he was. "That was not called for, maggot." With another smirk, Albel left the training grounds with the Crimson Scourge slung over one shoulder and the abused white shirt over the other.

"The coronation is this afternoon, your highness," shouted Mirage after the retreating Albel, who merely raised a hand in acknowledgement.

Fayt stood up and dusted himself off, looking unfazed despite being only half-dressed. "I'm going to my room, then I'll come back down to meet the two of you."

"Wh-what happened here?" asked Cliff when he finally regained his ability to speak.

"Nothing much," replied Fayt, nodding to Mirage before making his exit. "Just a spar."

"Did he say 'spar' or 'war'?" Cliff exchanged glances with Mirage before assessing the damage. The marble wall was cracked in several places by what looked suspiciously like leaves. The trees have all but lost their foliage. There were great fissures and trenches of dirt on the ground and there were also large patches of smoldering grass.

"'Nothing much'?" sighed and exasperated Cliff as he scratched the back of his neck. "If this is nothing much, then I'm a fairy! This looks more like the aftermath of a war zone!"

Mirage patted Cliff on the back. "Worry gives small things large shadows, Cliff."

---

The citizens of Aquios flocked to the throne room of the castle. Anticipation and excitement painted the faces of all present. They were finally going to meet their prince, beloved by all but seen by none. Tradition decreed that having a male inherit the throne would bring turmoil, but in these days of war, any leader is better than none.

The prince's accomplishments flowed through the crowd like a stream, convincing those dissenters of his right to ascend the throne.

"Did you know that the Aqueduct system under Aquios was designed by his highness? Without that, getting clean water would be so much more difficult, especially in these times!"

"I heard that the prince has pale skin and kind eyes. He is very brave and strong with Apris' rune circlet shining on his forehead! What a king the prince would make!"

"Story is that he can take on ten Airyglyph soldiers at once!"

"Well, I heard that they keep him away because he's a direct descendant of Apris! He's so beautiful that he has to wear a mask to prevent everyone, whether man or woman, from falling in love with him! Now **that** is a throne worth protecting!"

"Is it true?"

"Er… that was the rumor I heard…"

Elena Frahm and Laselle, the royal retainers, waited behind the closed doors for the prince to descend. Laselle was far from satisfied with the explanation that Cliff and Mirage provided, but there was not much he could say to circumvent a direct order from the throne. From the door to the left of them entered Adray and Romero, and the four merely stared at each other in surprise.

The silence was shattered when Adray took a great leap forward and engulfed Elena in his massive arms. "Elena! It has been such a long time since I've seen you! And Laselle, as grumpy as ever!"

"Adray Lasbard, have you finally returned to Aquios after all these years?" Elena smiled mildly before insisting that he put her down.

"To finally accept your duty to the throne!" screeched Laselle, pointing an accusing finger at the much larger man. "You ran away when you were needed the most!"

"Are you calling me a coward, you sniveling excuse of a yellow-bellied man?" said Adray tightly, putting Elena down.

A dangerous tone edged Romero's voice as he advanced upon the group. "Do not make assumptions upon circumstances beyond your feeble comprehension, mortal."

Laselle felt a deathly chill go down his spine as he stared into infinitely empty eyes. "And who are you?"

Romero drew near and returned the stare, unblinking. "I am Romero, a servant of the gods, created by Folstar, the god of death. You, who were abandoned by the rulers you served, and left behind on this land… May I, in my great kindness—"

Adray laughed loudly at the sight of Laselle's deathly pale face before thumping the mortified man's back. "Don't worry, Romero may be undead, but he won't kill you."

"I beg to differ," muttered Romero quietly, hiding a secret smile as an astonished Elena Frahm drew him into a conversation.

The clanking of metal drew their attention as Albel and Cliff stormed down the stairs, followed more sedately by Fayt and Mirage.

"What is the meaning of this?" demanded Elena, gentle eyes questioning at the amount of metal one of them was wearing.

"Aquarian royalty are not allowed to bear arms, let alone enough of it to supply a military arsenal!" Cliff pointed at the Crimson Scourge, the steel claws and metal boots. He lunged at Albel in order to gain control of the Crimson Scourge, but he found himself careening to the floor.

"Indeed, they are not! Take those off at once, such a break in tradition is a sacrilege!" Laselle sputtered but was instantly silenced by Romero's icy gaze.

Fayt shook his head before approaching Elena. "I suppose that Cliff and Mirage told you all what has happened." Elena nodded and pointed at the black band encircling his forehead. Fayt touched the cloth. "To hide the runes. From today on, I am simply Fayt Leingod, an engineer from Greeton who has sworn fealty to the prince of Aquios."

"Many things can go wrong with this plan, your highness," said Elena, worry clear in her tone.

Fayt shook his head. "It is not a time of peace, Elena. There are things we must forfeit in order to gain something more important. I cannot always have people sacrificing themselves for an ideal. Let Albel keep his sword, for he just might be what can save us all. Without my brother, we must keep hope alive somehow and this is all I can do."

Elena smiled. "You would have made a great king."

"I was never meant to be king, so that is a loss that I will never miss."

A loud crashing sound signaled Albel kicking Cliff through the front doors. "Get to it, maggot!"

---

The crowd before the throne room became silent as the blond castle warden barreled into the room, obviously shaken and seething with distaste. Little children hid behind their parents, terrified of the growling man.

A sharp voice snapped from where Cliff came from. "Do your job, fool. Stop wasting my time!"

"I'm getting there!" snarled Cliff. He turned to face the audience and in monotone, announced his lines. "I humbly present to the kingdom of Aquaria, his royal highness, Prince Albel!" By the sound of his voice, he might as well have been reciting lines from an instruction manual.

Albel sauntered out from between the doors to stand before the congregation. Upon seeing the steel claws and wicked smirk, some of the children started to cry. The crowd began murmuring to each other, none of which sounded optimistic.

"As the thirteenth sovereign of Aquaria, Prince Albel will now address his subjects." Cliff held back a snort at seeing the bawling children break Albel's composure. Of course the bounty hunter would not be good with children, not with that face anyway. "Don't say anything rude."

"He is scaring the children," coughed Adray, torn between dismay and amusement.

Albel turned around and draped himself on the throne. "I will unify this kingdom. I am Albel Nox and you worms are now my—"

A hissed "Silence" stopped Albel from finishing his sentence as Fayt walked out from the doors with a silver crown with three jewels. The center gem was dark red, flanked by two smaller yellow ones. Fayt unceremoniously placed the crown on Albel's head before taking his place beside him.

Cliff sighed. "Presenting Fayt Leingod, engineer emissary from the kingdom of Greeton. He is the castle's Head Runologist, succeeding Lady Elena Frahm, and he—"

"—is my consort." Albel's announcement caused Fayt's face to pale and Cliff's jaw to drop in shock. That had not been part of the script. The murmurs of the congregation grew frantic and in the back room, Elena could hardly control her amusement.

"Oh my…"

Fayt smiled but his clenched fist shook with barely-restrained fury. Some individuals standing before the throne smiled back involuntarily in response to the gentle expression, but when Fayt turned his gaze to Albel, the green eyes promised retribution.

All of a sudden, the windows of the castle burst from their panes one by one. Fayt quickly threw up a defensive shield large enough to cover all present in the congregation. Because of the extent of the area it covered, the shield was not particularly strong. It was strong enough to protect against the falling shards of glass, but the barrier was stretched too thin and smaller pieces fell through.

The crowd did not have time to panic, for when the last window broke, the front doors burst open. Clapping was heard as Belzeber and Berial stepped into the room.

"Congratulations, congratulations, your highness," simpered Belzeber mockingly. He sneered with contempt at the people inching away from him. "Berial, guard the door. No one goes in or out."

Berial blocked the door with his body. He did not particularly want to harm anyone needlessly, so he settled for a menacing glare to thwart any would-be heroes. He was satisfied when people ran away from him as if he was the devil.

Belzeber licked his lips and languidly flicked his whip from side to side. "So sorry to crash your party, but I came here to kill you, your highness."

"Be my guest, worm."

Amusement turned to rage as Belzeber struck at the throne, intent on tearing the smirk off of Albel's face. Along the way, he struck a child aside, sending her hard on the floor with a large cut on the left side of her face. Her blood stained the floor, but no one dared move an inch to help her. Belzeber threw his whip, cackling as the weapon hit flesh, but as he tried to recoil it, he found the task impossible. "You!"

Albel had not as much as moved an inch from the throne, keeping the same smirk on his face when Fayt dashed in front of him. The blue-haired boy winced when the whip wound around his arm but braced his stance and caught the end of it with his hand. He looked down the length of the whip to a stunned Belzeber. His eyes darkened with fury. "Get out of my kingdom."

"Who is this fool?" spat Belzeber as he vainly tried to withdraw his whip. Before he could grab his other whip, he found himself bodily hoisted from behind.

Both men and women in the crowd covered their children's eyes and turned away at the sharp, sickening sound of bones breaking. Belzeber screamed in agony and tried to free himself, but Albel's grip on his arms was unyielding. A low, sinister whisper spoke into his ear. "Keep moving and I'll gladly break the other one. Move even further and I'll break your legs. Offend me and I'll snap your neck. I am the only one allowed to insult that particular maggot."

Belzeber grit his teeth in pain but smiled coyly. "Do you really think you have time for this, your highness? Right about now, Berial should be—"

A form that looked suspiciously like the aforementioned Berial was thrown over their heads and sailed out the window. Fayt picked up the wounded child and snapped his fingers. A massive explosion rocked the foundations of the castle. Fayt began to heal the child but he kept his eyes, almost black with rage, on Belzeber.

"Now just imagine if that was you," hissed Albel. "Or maybe not. The little maggot's too kind-hearted even if you manage to thoroughly piss him off. He wouldn't kill you. On the other hand, there is nothing I would love better. You won't be using your whips anytime soon, fool." With that said, Albel threw Belzeber out the window. Another explosion rocked the castle. "How surprising… the maggot's not a saint after all."

The little girl opened wide, brown eyes to see Fayt smiling down on her as her worried mother stood closely behind. Her eyes filled with tears and she buried her face in Fayt's shirt. "I was so scared!"

Fayt awkwardly patted her head, but she was quickly lifted out of his hands.

Albel turned the bawling girl around to face him and scowled distastefully. Crying children gave him a murderous feeling. "How long are you going to continue crying?" barked Albel, startling the girl out of her tears. "Crying is for those who cannot move on past their weakness. I will not have such people following me! If you are going to keep sniveling like a brat, then there is no reason to have saved you."

The crowd gaped at the harsh words their new king had for the young child and fully expecting the child to be terrified. No one anticipated the girl to dry her glassy eyes and manage a small nod. Her cheeks were crimson and damp, but no more tears fell.

Albel smirked and ruffled her hair with his clawed hand. "You're a strong one to stare death in the face and survive, little worm."

The girl ran back to her parents, smiling despite the threat of fresh tears. As she reached them, the spell over the crowd broke and they surged forward, choosing to revel in the unconventional strength of their newfound king.

They have never had such a strong ruler. He is one who would jump in battle himself rather than be protected by the lives of his people. He can make tears dry and the Lord of the Dead obey. With such powerful magic by his side, he will slay all those who threaten his kingdom.

----- -----

End Chapter Three

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Author's Notes:

I finished watching the anime of Murder Princess about a month ago and the second book a couple of days ago. I was surprised to find the two stories to be very different. The anime and all its technological backdrops is a better fit for SO3, but there are certain aspects to it that seemed rushed and unsatisfying. Not to say the manga was too much better, but both left me rather torn. My decision: "Screw it! This story is mine! I'll write what I want!"

I contemplated adding other warnings to this story, but I decided not to because it would spoil things. See you guys soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Murder Prince

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by Asurahime

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- Chapter Four -

Fayt hummed to himself as he brought a vase of crimson flowers into his—now Albel's—room. He was surprised this morning to see the girl who had been saved—Ameena was her name, in front of the Castle Gates. The time, she smiled as she handed him the flowers. Fayt bent down to accept the red blooms with a small smile in return. "Are these for his highness?"

The small girl's cheeks grew pink before she nodded. "I picked them this morning myself! I wanted to thank his highness for rescuing me."

Fayt laughed, anticipating the look on Albel's face. He noticed Ameena's confused gaze and quickly cleared his throat. "Ahem. Would you like to come inside?"

Ameena gasped, bowed her head, and backed away. "I would be honored, big brother, but my mother is expecting me to return soon. I can come again once my chores are done! I-if that's okay?"

Fayt struggled to hold back laughter at the child's hopeful face and wide, guileless stare. Ameena was practically pleading for permission. "Of course. If fact, why don't you head on home right now? I'll put these in the prince's room and see if he would like to come over to your home. I'll also bring some cake."

"Really?" The innocent eyes became wild with excitement before Ameena threw a grateful hug around the older boy's waist. She squeezed hard before she let go and practically ran home. She turned around and waved again. "I live in the flower shop, 'The Maiden of Irisa'! Thank you and come soon, big brother!" Then, the girl was gone.

"Yes… it's much better this way." Fayt stopped a few paces from Albel's room and looked down at the flowers in his hand. The smile on his face became tinged with sadness. "Big brother, eh? I've never been a big brother to anyone. Luther, would you still be proud of me?"

Albel came up from behind the unmoving Fayt and rested an angular chin on his companion's shoulder. "Who's Luther?"

Fayt clutched the vase protectively in one arm while the other was already extended to cast a spell. He misjudged how close the other was and accidentally struck him in the face with his fist instead.

Albel was caught off-guard and he felt his head jerk to the side. His eyes glittered with unfathomable emotion as he slowly turned to glare at the boy before him. "That was completely uncalled for."

Fayt stared at his hand disbelievingly. He was so stunned by what he had done that he had almost forgotten to apologize to his victim. "You surprised me. It was not exactly a night thing to sneak up behind someone—no matter who it is."

Albel grabbed Fayt's hand and held it up uselessly. "Whoever said that I was nice? You aren't exactly radiating sunshine yourself, maggot. You still have not answered my question and I am losing my patience, so out with it!"

"I'm—"

A low growl escaped from Albel's throat as he dropped the younger man's arm. "Don't apologize. Save your sentiments for the weak. At least you didn't slap me like some sissy princess whose skirt has just been flipped. If you are going to punch someone, at least be a man about it."

"I wasn't going to apologize!" snapped Fayt, but his tone softened as he handed the vase to Albel. "Here, these are for you."

Crimson eyes looked at the flowers distastefully. Albel set the vase to the side and grabbed hold of Fayt, pulling the other flush against his own body. "For a worm, you are awfully forward. But I shouldn't complain." He buried his nose in Fayt's hair and whispered hotly in his ear. "It is normally I who instigates any type of dalliance, but since you so adamantly insist—"

Fayt's expression twisted to a scowl before he lifted up a booted foot and slammed it down upon the swordsman's own, regardless of the thing metal plating. "Those are not from me, your highness." The sadistic part of his mind cheered when Albel hissed in pain. "They're from Ameena, the little girl you saved." His scowl softened and his lips curved into a small smile in fond remembrance. "She asked if you would like to come over so that she might be able to thank you properly."

"No." The reply was sharp as Albel stalked past the bewildered Fayt to enter his room. "Don't forget what our relationship is, maggot. I have not given you the ability to ask any additional favors from me. My only duty to you is that I protect this kingdom, not to be the saving grace of the maggots that reside in it. I am not in the mood for following orders that go past that without payment, so don't go around assuming I can cater to the whim of every little idiot who begs for my time."

It took all of Fayt's self-control not to set the other man on fire in reflection of his rage. His frigid gaze met an apathetic stare. "You are cruel."

"And the sky is blue, but you can't change it."

Without a word, Fayt turned around and left. A smirk twisted Albel's lips, but it was painfully clear that it held no humor. It was natural for Albel to be cutting, for if one cannot know emotion, then one will not know pain. It is easier to see a nameless stranger die than to watch a friend breathe his last.

"At times like these, I truly do not know what to make of you." Romero's lilting voice floated through the room even though he was not physically present and the temperature appeared to drop a few degrees.

"That is not my problem," snarled Albel as he opened the door.

"There might be danger everywhere you turn. Should you really be in this form of animalistic hibernation?"

"Deal with it." The door was slammed loud enough to echo through the castle.

---

Fayt was still fuming when he descended the stairs leading to the town, paying no heed to the violent slamming sound indicative of Albel's displeasure. There was nothing more he would like to do than to go back and fry Albel with a few well-placed thunderbolts, but incapacitating the bounty hunter would be self-defeating. But the desire for satisfaction was still strong. Moreover, Fayt thought as he glanced down at the box in his hands, the cake he was carrying wasn't going to last forever. It may be Albel's nature to be immature, but Fayt knew that his manners were better than that. He was not going to disappoint Ameena if he could do something about it.

The blue-haired former prince of Aquaria adjusted the strip of cloth over his forehead before heading out into town. Although no one has ever seen him as the rightful prince, Fayt knew that he could not take chances. The sun was glaringly bright and there were large clouds in the sky, but the day felt like a good one to be outside.

Fayt was about to turn left to get to Ameena's flower shop when a large gathering in the town square caught his eye. In the center of the crowd was an armored man atop a monstrous black horse flanked by two others. The helmet covering his face gave no indication of his features, but the massive sword at his side told of his strength as well as his hostile intentions. Fayt felt a sharp prickling on his forehead, usually a sign that something was not right. He set down the box and focused his attention on the dark man.

Without a word, the man unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the blacksmith Gusto. "Bring him to me," hissed an inhuman voice. Even in the bright sun, the dark figures stood ominous and quiet as death.

Gusto did not like the tone of the man nor the antagonistic nature by which he was being accosted, so he stepped forward and pushed the others back. "That is no way to make a request! I don't know who you are, but I suggest you leave right now and come back when you learn some—" Before he could utter another word, the other man swiped his sword sideways, cutting off Gusto's arm from the elbow.

Shock settled over the crowd in their disbelief over what just happened. The blood dripping from the severed arm dripped louder than the breathing of the living. Suddenly, there was a scream and the crowd surged back, deathly afraid and frantic to get away from the armored man. Although blood steadily escaped the stub left on Gusto's arm and as much pain as he felt, he grit his teeth and glared defiantly at his assailant. "Who are you?"

"Bring him to me!"

"Go to hell!" Gusto shouted as he raised his hammer with his good arm, but his strength was failing from how much blood he has lost. His eyes grew wide with fear as the man before him raised his sword with the intent to sever more than his arm. Gusto could feel death's grasp upon his shoulders as he surrendered to his fate.

Fayt grabbed Gusto by the shoulders and with desperate strength, threw the large man out of the path of danger. He pivoted before the dark blade could descend and blocked it with a blade of ice. Leaf-green eyes met steely blue and Fayt growled low in anger. "How could you do this? What has he ever done to you?"

"You finally came to me." The frigid voice was surprisingly gentle in its reply. "I've been searching so long for you…"

Fayt's eyes widened and he wrenched his sword away. He might have been hearing things, but it sounded like the man said he was waiting for him. "What do you want from me?"

The frozen gaze softened as the armored man reached a gloved hand towards Fayt. "I want you to live." The hand came closer to Fayt, but he caught sight of what looked like a sudden twist of madness. The man's calm gaze quickly snapped into mania and he tried to grab Fayt's throat. "Foolish mortals can only serve and die. That is your destiny."

Breathing became impossible when the hand clamped over Fayt's throat like a vise. Fayt clawed at the steel grip, but the more he struggled, the less able he was to breathe. With the last reserves of his strength, he drew back his left hand and cast an Explosion spell on the helmet of his assailant. The force of the blast broke the grip holding Fayt captive by his throat and threw him far, where he landed painfully on the ground. He gasped for air like a fish out of water as he skidded to a stop and coughed to clear the remains of the constriction in his throat. Then, he turned to look at his opponent, his normally calm expression twisting into fury.

"Get out of here," Fayt rasped as runology circles surrounded his figure, the black cloth that covered his forehead burned away, revealing a blazing white circlet. The figure of great composure was gone and all that was left was destruction.

The armored man clutched his shattered helmet as blank eyes stared at the glowing figure of death approaching him. If he had been dubious to the identity of his target before, he was certain of it now. He dismounted from his horse and dropped his hands to the side as his two companions moved before him like shields. The action caused pieces of his shattered helmet to fall to the ground, revealing a shadowy blue eye and a runology circlet bathing his face with its sickly red glow.

Fayt's rage drained out of him instantly. The cursed circlet reflected the same white circle of runes on his forehead. But he knew that only three people in the life have them: himself, Albel and… his brother.

"L-Luther…?"

"Fayt! Where are you?" A high, girlish voice called out and pierced the tension. Ameena turned the corner of the building and her eyes glittered with excitement when she saw Fayt. "You're here on time, big brother!"

Fayt turned around in horror to warn her to stay away, but that split-second was enough for the surprisingly agile stranger to move past him towards Ameena. "NO!"

Ameena stopped when she saw the imposing figure before her. "He-hello…" She looked up to the man's eyes and her young blood ran cold. Even the innocent could feel the killing intent radiating from the man. The circlet flashed red and with a whispered word, Ameena crumpled to the ground, her eyes lifeless.

"What have you done?" The strangled sentence was wrought with anguish. Fayt looked at the prone figure of the young girl who appeared so alive that morning. He lifted raging green eyes to the murderer he momentarily thought was his beloved brother. "Luther would never do such a thing. You are not my brother!"

Sinister laughter chilled the air between them as the man turned to face his original target. "I never said I was. I am only here to retrieve you. Do not worry so… tragedy makes angels of mere mortals."

Fayt's vision grew white as he screamed for vengeance. The white runological circles surrounding him blazed to life and pulsated dangerously in his fury. Impossibly white wings tore themselves free on his back, the backlash of power incinerating the two silent followers who were unfortunate enough to stand in the deathly range. From their silent mouths, screams were torn both of desperation and what sounded surprisingly like blessed relief. The earth shook at the rapid release of dormant power, for Creation and Destruction meet for the first time.

"Harbinger of Destruction and Key to All-Creation, you are beautiful in your power," whispered the armored man. He reached out a hand towards the light.

Fayt was no longer himself. He smiled before raising a glowing hand and blasting his opponent with raw energy, sparing no quarter. The man jerked in pain as the attack gave him a small taste of what death felt like. The armor he wore started to melt and the single blue eye bulged out of its socket, turning red with the rupturing of blood vessels. There was no pain in existence comparable to this agony.

"Whoever you are, you are an enemy of Aquaria," said Fayt as his eyes became metallic malachite and his smile grew deceptively gentle. "I am under no obligation to take pity on you."

The knight gasped for breath as his right shoulder exploded, forcing him to drop his sword as blood rained down on the ground where he stood. Blood also splashed upon Fayt's clothes, dying the white fabric a bright red. There was a sudden surge in the power being supplied by the runological circles, causing Fayt to frown at the anomaly. But when he turned to face the enemy again, the man was gone. The whinny of a horse caught his attention and he turned to see the injured man atop the horse, six violet-white wings of energy appeared and covered him like a barrier.

"I will retreat for now. When I return, you will come with me." Though heavily injured, the voice was steady, like a man who knows no pain.

"Or a man possessed," Fayt whispered as the knight disappeared and the dust settled. A sudden pain in his chest forced the air out of his lungs, effectively causing him to black out and collapse where he stood. The white wings faded as if they were never there.

Minutes later, Adray walked out of the alley and into the center plaza with a smile, red cheeks and a large bottle of wine in his hands. One look at the destruction sobered him up. The bottle crashed to the ground in a million pieces as he went rigid in terror and disbelief.

"W-what in Apris happened here?" Adray roared. "ALBEL!"

---

Albel shot the intruder a withering glance as the door to his room was ripped from its hinges and tossed aside with the forced entry. He was hardly in any mood to speak to anyone and continued slicing his sword at an imaginary enemy before him. "Get out." He spared Adray a complaint when he realized who had entered. He had anticipated the intruder to be Fayt and was slightly annoyed that he was wrong.

"You are coming with me. NOW." Adray's jaw was clenched with restrained fury and his tight tone left no room for argument. He grabbed the back of Albel's black shirt and dragged him out. He was not going to take Albel's immaturity right now.

Knowing that a serious Adray is a murderous Adray, Albel kept his mouth wisely shut, but he broke from Adray's grip. If he was going to follow the other man, he was going to walk himself and not be dragged in such a demeaning manner. Albel conveniently forgot that it was something he would not mind doing to another himself. "What are you playing at, old man?"

Adray pinned Albel with a sharp stare as they stopped at the door to the hospital wing. "Boy, for once realize that neither the sun nor the moon revolve around you. A king does more than sit on the throne and expect his subjects to accomplish everything while assuming all the credit. You have accepted a king's power as well as a king's responsibilities once that crown was placed on your empty head. But now, I am not even certain how you can live with yourself as a person."

"Old man…" Albel bared his teeth as the word struck too close to what he has been beating himself over since that morning.

Not even sparing Albel another glance, Adray opened the door to reveal two figures on two separate beds. One of the beds was surrounded by a flurry of mad, frantic activity while the other only held silence and the soft sobs of broken hearts.

The opening of the door momentarily stopped all activity in the room as healers and medics bowed in the presence of their king, but they only spared a moment for respect before continuing to treat their patients.

"Adray." A man with bandages covering what was left of his right arm addressed the other tattooed man. His face was pale from bloodloss and his normally tireless eyes were as gaunt as his face. He looked like a man haunted by demons he is not strong enough to fight. "We need to start reconstruction right away. Weakness like the central square is not good during a time of war. We have been too lax with our security."

"I agree that we much begin rebuilding, but you are not going to be there, Gusto. That arm of yours needs time to heal," answered Adray.

Albel's gaze was riveted to the blacksmith's missing arm and he clasped his steel claws with his own good arm. Memories of a blazing fire, the clash of steel and the stench of rotting, burning corpses clouded his eyes as his grip tightened. These were not memories he wanted to surface again. Fortunately for him, the blacksmith's voice brought him out of his stupor.

Gusto sighed and turned sad eyes to the two beds. "My arm is a small loss. I have already lived a good number of years and my arm has served me well. But these two… Apris protect us. The poor little child…"

Albel followed the man's glance as a healer moved from the crowd blocking the nearest bed. His eyes grew wide with what felt analogous to fear and guilt when he saw blue hair and a flickering circlet of dimming white runes. Bandages wrapped around the patient were not helping as blood seeped through from two large wounds. "Maggot…?" Albel staggered back as healers continuously tried to heal the twin vertical tears with little success.

A pain-filled cry from one of the people surrounding the more silent bed stole Albel's attention away from Fayt. He approached slowly, supporting himself against the wall, his stomach sunk with every dreadful step he took. A young boy wearing glasses cried piteously, clutching at an older woman who was beside herself in tears. Another man was ashen white as he gripped a tiny, cold hand, mindless of the hot tears dropping on it like rain. They all kept their broken gazes on the still figure of a girl on the bed. She looked peaceful, but her eyes remained closed and her lips drew no breath.

"Ameena…" The bespectacled boy whispered the name like a plea, but Albel felt like the name was a stab in his heart. It was the little girl Fayt wanted him to visit, the one he saved once—

"_**Don't forget what our relationship is, maggot. I have not given you the ability to ask any additional favors from me. My only duty to you is that I protect this kingdom, not to be the saving grace of the maggots that reside in it. I am not in the mood for following orders that go past that without payment, so don't go around assuming I can cater to the whim of every little idiot who begs for my time."**_

"_**You are cruel."**_

"_**And the sky is blue, but you can't change it."**_

—and failed to save again.

For all Albel's pride and all his self-assurance, he had forgotten one crucial fact: that a kingdom's foundation is its people. One stone is just as important as another. Take away one stone and the structure's stability is compromised. A kingdom with one less person is a kingdom one person weaker.

"Of all I have ever called a fool," whispered Albel. "I am the most foolish of all."

Unheard by everyone was the muttered name of the devil as eyes opened to show metallic green.

"_Luther."_

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End Chapter Four

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Author Notes:

My biggest enemy is definitely my friend, Procrastination. It's like the both the devil and angel on my shoulder decided not to be my conscience and took off on vacation. I've actually written this chapter and chapter five a while ago, but I've been so busy/lazy that I hadn't bothered typing it out. Thank you Mizu-Tenshi for sending the review that wake me up.

Yeah, I don't want to really write anything in the author notes that spoils anything in the story (because I sometimes have the bad habit of reading author's notes first), so I won't say too much… other than the fact that I'm a bad person. Am I cold-hearted enough to have actually done that? Oh, it gets worse. I also imagine Albel in his 3P outfit here because it's my favorite and more time-period accurate (but mainly because he looks sexy in it). At least he won't have to worry about a skirt flapping everywhere. For those of you who have questions… well, let's just say there's going to be a lot more of those before you get any answers.

Edited, not beta-read (I'm slow enough as it is): Forgot a line from last time, so I added it in.


	5. Chapter 5

Murder Prince

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by Ashurato

(formerly Asurahime)

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- Chapter Five -

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"Please, teach me how to fight!"

Albel looked up from polishing the Crimson Scourge to view blue eyes bright with unshed tears behind a pair of glasses. It was the same boy who had cried so bitterly on Ameena's bedside. "Go away, little maggot. Do not waste my time with your weak ideas of revenge."

"Yes, I know I'm weak! That's why I couldn't protect Ameena! That's why she died! Despite how much I can care for someone, I can never do anything right!"

Albel growled and whipped his sword towards the boy, stopping the length of live steel a mere centimeter from the child's nose. He felt a mixture of satisfaction and irritation when the boy jumped back and scrambled away from the weapon. "Your reflexes are passable, but your fear of death has spoiled you from ever being a killer, little fool."

"My name is Dion!" shouted the boy, incensed that he was called spoiled even by his king.

Laughter similar to the sound of sandpaper escaped from Albel's throat and the bitter sound held no warmth. He lowered his sword and glared at the trembling boy before him. "Foolish boy! What is it that you want to fight for? To protect your kingdom? To protect people you care about? Or to simply find a means to an end because of how powerless you are? Bah! Put aside such ridiculous ideals!"

Dion froze where he stood as Albel slowly sheathed his sword. "But—"

"Hesitation is a certain way to die," hissed Albel as he rose and leaned close to the young boy and stared unblinkingly into his eyes. "To fight is to kill. In a battle, to survive means to take lives and plenty of them. There are those like me who are born to kill and there are those like you who will never be ready. If you want to protect others then stay out of the battlefield before maggots are the only beings to mourn your death." Without another word, Albel swept out of the room and made his way down the corridors of Aquaria Castle.

---

The noise of a door opening startled Fayt from his light doze. Healers ordered him to stay on his stomach so that he would not irritate the two vertical wounds on his back. However, sleep fogged his mind and he made to turn around at the noise. The sheer agony of re-tearing healing muscles and opening scars forced Fayt to abandon all previous attempts at movement and he collapsed on the bed with a pained sigh.

Romero entered through the door and quietly closed it behind him. He then turned his attention to the suffering young man on the bed. Although the acrid and yet sterile scents of herbs and analeptics were strong, the sharp smell of blood lay present underneath. The bright room smelled of death and destruction, both familiar and beautiful to the undead.

"Your highness—" murmured Romero as he took the seat next to the bed.

"Fayt," came a muffled noise from the pillow that Romero could barely hear. "My name is Fayt, Romero."

The undead spirit smiled. "Names are worthless in our intricate farce, Fayt. You may have relinquished your titles, but you remain the power behind the throne. How are you feeling?"

"I think I saw my brother." Fayt's voice was lifeless and empty and his eyes were hollow, but the trembling hands that were slowly forming into fists betrayed his emotional turmoil. "And yet it couldn't be my brother. My brother would not kill our people! Luther would never hurt Gusto or kill Ameena… but those eyes and that rune circlet could not possibly belong to anyone else!"

Romero glanced at the door before turning to look out the window. Contrary to the gloom pervading the capital, the sky was clear and the sun shone bright. "Mortals are complex creatures. Your morality tells you the difference between right and wrong, but there are still factors which blur such definitions. What is good can conflict with what is necessary. Wars are fought as a means to achieve peace. There is no destiny, only time and how you choose to spend it before it runs out."

Fayt turned his head to face Romero. "So I choose to save people while Luther has been possessed to kill others."

"And how do you know he has been possessed?" Romero laughed dryly, like dead leaves as they are swept away by the wind. He could already see the rejection forming in Fayt's lips, but he continued on. "It is hardly that simple, Fayt. Those who are possessed must agree with the possessor's aspirations to a certain extent. If they are not the same, then a contract must be formed in order for one to gain someone that the other can provide."

"My brother is a good man!"

"But even good men can have desires. Possession brings about one's deepest wants and strives only to fulfill them." Romero's smile faded. "The same applies whether one is living or undead."

Silence grew in the room as Fayt and Romero studied each other. When Fayt broke spoke again, it was not a topic Romero was expecting. "Why do you follow Albel, Romero? I have heard rumors that the undead walk the earth only when they still have an attachment to life."

Romero's voice dropped to a whisper as he touched the wounds on Fayt's back. "Mortals tend to deify the dead, but there is nothing more to it than an emptiness that can never be filled. We thrive on emotions to substitute for the void and each of us has a different preference. I follow Albel because for my taste, he can provide plenty of and has no need for. I will follow him until I am satisfied or he is dead—the same thing I now do for you."

Fayt suddenly felt his body grown numb. All of the pain he felt drained out from his wounds like they never were. He attempted to sit up, but Romero quickly gestured for him to stay still.

"That will be unwise, for you are still injured despite what you feel. I can take away the pain, but by no means can I heal things that are torn and broken. I am a demon, not a healer."

Epiphany hit Fayt with the force of a Thunderbolt spell. "Even wounded, as long as one feels no pain, one can keep fighting. Romero… you thrive on pain."

Romero nodded. "Yes, the perfect warrior." He glanced at the door once again and his countenance became akin to sadness. "It is a double-edged sword, for I cannot exist in this mortal plane without it. We follow what sustains us so that we might finish what was left incomplete when we died. But that which we feed upon are the very vices and pains of those who still live."

"What was left incomplete? What is your purpose for still being here?"

"I apologize, but I cannot tell you. Death is like sipping a cup of wine and forgetting all you ever knew."

Fayt fixed Romero a hard stare. "Your name is not truly Romero, is it?"

Romero smiled. "It is. However, that has not always been the case."

"Then who are you?"

"An ally. Back from the dead to serve Destruction and douse the cold flames of apathy I failed to extinguish in life," softly hissed Romero. "Death ruined my life, but fate was kind enough to lend me a new one.

---

A dark figure sat against a pillar in a room filled with computer screens and crisscrossed wires. A screen lit up the floor next to him and bathed the room with a sickly blue light. Bright golden hair contrasted sharply against the black armor it fell against and metallic blue eyes were transfixed on the screen.

The screen projected the image of a blue-haired youth, smiling, fuming, crying, and glaring defiantly as white circles of power surrounded him. To the dark man, it was all beautiful. He reached out a trembling hand as if to touch the face on the screen, but the image only shattered into a million fragments.

"What is it you want, my black knight?" A voice, seductive and cruel, ripped him from his reverie and chilled his blood like poison. "Why do you seek power, child? It is not a taste meant to pass your lips and burn in your hands."

"F-Fayt…" The name was a whimpered plea as the knight tried to gather the broken pieces that held the precious image for him, mindless of their blood-stained surface and the icy tears that streamed down his face.

A woman stepped out of the gloom, her crimson lips turned up in a cruel smile as she raised a hand. The shard of glass levitated from the ground to encircle the knight with Fayt's image reflected from even the smallest surface.

"What you desire is so simple and so pure, yet you know that your love would do nothing but destroy him." She stepped forward and tilted his chin up, amused that such a blank face could hold such emotion in its eyes. "You have been abandoned and you have been confined. Yet you have the gall to be selfish and tainted in your pursuits. But I have accepted you freely and I embody your salvation."

The knight shifted his gaze to her, his eyes fixated on the glowing violet wings that shadowed a face he had never seen. He could remember very little and lived through desire along, but even an automaton would recognize and obey the voice of the devil. She held his soul in her hands, the price of granting his wish, for the wish was an impossible one.

Even if she should free him, he would have nowhere to go, for he no longer belonged to himself. So intent was he to be needed that he lost everything else, from his pride to his memories, and even his name. All except for that one painful memory the devil chose to have him retain. One face and one name to torment him for the rest of his days.

"What is your name?" smiled the shadowy woman as she ran tortuous nails through his golden hair.

"Black Knight," replied the man flatly.

"Oh, but that is not your name, child. Do you not remember? Should I give you back your name?"

The metallic blue eyes began to grow clearer. "I… don't want…"

The woman drew crimson lips near his ear as if to whisper a secret, but her tone was as savage as one ripping out another's heart. It was a quiet moment before the hellish screams pierced the night.

"Your name… is…"

---

"Luther!" shouted Fayt, eyes wild as he shot out of bed and knocked a vase of crimson flowers to the floor. He paid it no heed as his bare feet touched the cold floor. Frost also permeated the air and morning dew turned the window into something akin to shattered glass. He then took a step forward, but his legs, weak from a week of disuse, failed to carry his weight. He folded like a newborn lamb and winced as he jarred the healing tears on his back. He had not expected Romero's panacea to be permanent, but the empty numbness and the sudden reintroduction of forgotten pain made him forego seeking the spirit again. He made to get up, but a mocking voice made him freeze where he lay.

"How's the view from down there?"

Fayt squinted to see a lanky figure draped across the white sofa at the corner of his room. The morning sun shone too brightly and cast shadows upon the man and prickling Fayt's eyes like pins.

"Poor little worm. Now you can't even get up."

With a grimace, Fayt reached up and pulled himself onto the bed once more. "May I ask what brings you here, your majesty?"

"Don't be an idiot and drop the title, fool." Albel glowered at Fayt's lack of reaction towards his taunts and insults. "The big oaf insisted that I come here to pay my respects. Unfortunately, I may have arrived a little too soon and you're not dead yet."

Fayt turned his face away as memories came rushing back to the forefront of his mind. He bit his lip and gripped the white sheets in the realization that Ameena was truly dead. "I don't remember too much—just enough to know that I failed. I couldn't defend this country alone."

"Yes," Albel nodded in affirmation. "You were brought in plucked and fried like a chicken."

Fayt sighed at the confirmation of his weakness, fully aware that Albel already knew his uselessness. However, he was not expecting the surprisingly warm hand to rest against the back of his neck. Albel drew his face to within inches of Fayt's own, daring the other to look away. Fayt felt the other's warm breath in their close proximity and he could see the words forming before Albel had even given them life.

"Who's Luther?" Fayt escaped interrogation before, but Albel will have none of it this time.

The blue-haired boy was silent for long moments as he studied the man before him before. After an eternity, he sighed and began to speak. "Luther is my older brother, the first prince of Aquaria. Men born of the royal family are kept out of the public's eye because of the matriarchy, but that is only part of the reason. The rune circlet does not agree with us and in the past had caused many a prince to grow mad and destructive. But this reason is kept hidden from the people lest we face even further alienation.

"When my brother was young and before I was born, it was said that Apris spoke through him and because of it, he was blessed and protected. But it was only once and as time passed, Luther grew weary of this sheltered life. When he said that Apris spoke to him again three years ago, he left to join the army as a commander. But a fact only know to me was that he lied in order to get away. He wanted me to go with him, but I refused. I could bear to have our mother lose both her sons. That was the last I saw of him until that man in black appeared." Throughout his narration, Fayt's voice grew raspy with unspoken confusion and guilt.

"And you?" asked Albel. "What speaks through you?"

Fayt visibly started at the question. "Pardon?"

"Don't lie to me," warned Albel as his eyes narrowed. "Those wings that I heard burst through your back can only be god-granted. Who have you spoken to? Who stopped you from going with your beloved brother to traipse across the countryside?"

Fayt closed his eyes. He knew that the question would come up one day, but the swordsman was much sharper than he previously thought. "Everyone expected me to follow Luther's footsteps and have Apris speak to me. But I knew that lofty goals and the power to change the world were just completely foreign to me despite how much I try to understand them. I prefer to try to make life better for my people without endangering others."

"So have you?"

Fayt met Albel's calculating gaze. "Have I what?"

Albel grinned. "Spoken to Apris? Spoken to a god? Do you already have a place to exercise those wings in paradise?"

"No… and yes."

The mystifying answer startled Albel and his grip on the back of Fayt's neck tightened considerably. He had only asked the question in jest and an affirmative answer was the furthest thing from his mind. "I see what you mean by madness." He tried to make light of the situation, but the hard, green gaze that pinned him in place held no humor. "If not Apris…"

Fayt's smile was hopelessly bitter. "Folstar's domain would hardly be paradise. There is no pride in my existence, only destruction."

Albel stared at Fayt, transfixed by the presence of the god of death in what seemed like an innocent soul. He smiled, intrigued, as he leaned closer to his captive. The grip he had on Fayt's neck loosened and he brushed short blue locks out of the way with a steel digit. "You magnificent fool."

Albel kissed Fayt lightly, lips merely touching, but adrenaline rushed through his body from something so simple. He knew that kissing Fayt would be like drinking poison. For all its clarity, its sweet smell, and its divine taste, one's heart would stop beating once it has run through their system.

Fayt knew that Albel's kiss would be just like the man himself, all fire and no subtlety. Even the light connection was like facing live steel and the warm breath that fanned over his face was as torrid as the flames from a forge. But it was comforting in a way that was real.

Neither of them was surprised by the uncharacteristic action, but for the first time in the span of their association, Albel's eyes were not the sharp, ruby shards of a caged animal. He broke the kiss softly, hesitantly, before he buried his face in the crook of Fayt's neck that still showed the red scar from the rune transfer. "So that is the taste of destruction?"

"You should have no fear of the repercussion of the rune circlet's curse, Albel. You're already quite destructive and mad enough as you are."

"Since when have you had the nerve to talk back to me, maggot?"

Fayt smiled at the King of Aquaria, who currently looked more like a child than the battle-toughened warrior he was. He would have patted Albel's head, but the pain lancing through his back till restricted his movements. "You are full of questions today, your highness."

The irritated growl of lips against the scar told Fayt all he needed to know.

"Apology accepted, Albel."

Albel's face was devoid of smirks for the rest of his visit.

---

"What are you saying?" Cliff's eyes narrowed as he slammed a fist on the table, rattling teacups and spilling a crystal vase filled with white flowers to the floor.

Romero looked at the large blond man coolly. "Fayt said that the man he had fought was Luther."

"No way! There is no way that Prince Luther would attack his own kingdom! You can't say that he would so callously kill that little girl when you know nothing about him!"

It was a rare human who could make Romero's temper rise. "We may not know anything, but how much do you yourselves know about one hidden away? What if he was jealous that another has ascended upon a throne that should have been his and seeks revenge?"

Mirage grabbed Cliff's shirt before he could lunge at Romero. "Prince Luther would never do such a thing! He loved Prince Fayt more than anything."

"Yes… too much, from what I can see," murmured Romero as his eyes grew distant. "But you cannot discount the fact that his highness himself was the one who believed that that knight was his own brother."

"Then why would Luther attack?" asked Adray as he helped Mirage muscle Cliff back to his seat.

"I don't know!" Cliff growled. "The only one who could possibly even begin to understand Prince Luther would be—"

"That maggot, but I got nothing from him." Albel entered the room and slammed the door behind him. He took a seat at the head of the table. "So, what to do?"

"We're currently at a loss," said Mirage as she held her hands up in a gesture of helplessness. "Prince Luther is the person we would have imagined wanting to attack Aquaria."

"Is it true that Apris spoke to him?" asked Albel, but the confused expressions that greeted him showed that hearing this little fact was new to them as well. But when he spared a glance at Adray, the large man smiled but averted his gaze. "We can't sit here and do nothing. This city will have to get stronger for that won't be the last we see of that bastard."

"Prince Fayt—"

Albel scowled, drew his sword with a flash and sliced the table before them in two. "Have you forgotten that I am now the king of this peaceful little nation? I won't let that fool take on this burden on his own as part of it is now my responsibility. He **made** it my responsibility. Now if your kind prince is abnormally behaving like a maniac, then there is probably something behind it. If it's that circlet, then we simply cut his head off."

Mirage, Adray and Cliff were prepared to make a sound of violent protest while Romero only gave a clandestine smile. However, their complaints fell to deaf ears as Albel continued on. "But if something is controlling him, then we find it, kill it, crush it, and then go off on our merry way. Now if someone could just tell me… where the hell is IT?"

The door to the room slammed open and the bleeding, broken, weaponless figures of Belzeber and Berial fell through, having rejected the help of the guards and healers that surrounded them. The others in the room rose swiftly to their fee and grabbed their weapons in surprise.

"What are you maggots doing here?!" roared Albel as he pointed the Crimson Scourge to the two men.

Belzeber's first attempt at speaking was hindered as he vomited blood onto the formerly pristine floor. He glared up at Albel with his one good eye left and forced the words out between his torn lips. "Airyglyph has… fallen! Lord Vox is dead! Killed by a black knight… who said Aquaria is next to fall! Lord Vox sent… us here to warn you." With that, Belzeber fainted dead away.

Berial wasn't looking much better as his blackening arms dangled uselessly and his voice rasped from a crushed windpipe. "We can't say we come in peace, but as you can see, there is not much we can do."

"There not much of you left!" shouted Adray as he took in the bleeding gashes on Berial's head where his ears used to be. He raised his hands and began the long healing process. "Can you even hear me?"

Berial shook his head. "No, but I can read your lips."

"Despite your affiliation, you are a talented man. What did the attackers want?" asked Mirage.

"The key of destruction. They want to open the doors to the Shrine of Kaddan," hissed Berial.

In the wake of Berial and Belzeber's abrupt entrance, only Albel noticed that Romero was gone.

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End Chapter Five

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Author's Notes:

This is not a dead fic. Now I will run away before you all kill me.


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